Check Its Bathroom before Buying House (3)

Date: 2011.10.09 | Category: Bathroom, Home Improvement, House & Home | Tags: low-flow toilets,toilets

While acknowledging “anecdotal reports of poor performance of 1.6 gallons per flush toilets,” the Environmental Protection Agency says that customer surveys show high satisfaction. “The plumbing industry has steadily made improvements in toilet technology, and market forces should continue to improve overall performance with time,” the EPA said.

On the other hand, some people have tried to bring 3.5 gallon toilets over the border from Canada, where they are still manufac-tured. Other frustrated homeowners have been searching salvage yards, but rarely are they successful.

Most salvage operators only pick up high-end old toilets, such as those from mansions that might have been made in Europe in the early part of the last century. The problem with buying those is parts. Some of those parts haven’t been made in 60 years, and what do you do if something goes wrong?

The National Association of Home Builders Research Center (http://www.nahbrc.org) in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, tested lowflow toilets that builders had removed from their houses in response to buyer complaints about clogging.

Various technologies are used to make a low-flow toilet more functional. Some have large drain passages and redesigned bowls and tanks for easier wash-down. Others supplement the gravity system with water supply line pressure, compressed air, or a vacuum pump.

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